Dumfries and Galloway has been reeling from the fierce snowstorms which battered the region this week.

Small roads were closed and a series of minor car accidents were reported while dozens of schools were closed and staff sent home from offices, shops and factories.

The “Beast from the East” had combined with “Storm Emma” to hammer the area while Scotland received its first red alert weather warning meaning a risk to life.

Volunteers from HM Coastguard, Nith Inshore Rescue and Ae 4x4 brought nurses and staff to and from Dumfries Infirmary as their contingency plans kicked in.

Snow day- Shops closed and young and old took advantage of the snowy weather for some sledging. (Image: Jim McEwan)

And Matt Thomson, the council’s principal resilience adviser, said: “The Met Office took the decision to extend the amber warning into Dumfries and Galloway because the snowfall in this region was in excess of what they predicted on Tuesday.

“The significant amount of snow that has fallen is enough to cause challenging travel conditions. We have been in the emergency bunker all through the night Tuesday into Wednesday, focusing on warning and informing people.

“The intelligence we’ve received from members of the public has been absolutely fantastic.

“We had 4x4 vehicles on standby ready to be deployed in an emergency including being able to get staff to work at the hospital. It’s vital that the hospital keeps going.

“Mountain rescue teams are also helping to take district nurses out with urgent medication that might be needed.”

Schools were closed throughout the region and Police Scotland reported a series of “low impact” crashes initially while ScotRail cancelled all services in the region from early Wednesday afternoon.

Police told motorists to avoid the A711 as cars and lorries struggled to negotiate the road between Beeswing and Dalbeattie on Wednesday.

And the M74 was partially closed north bound in the early hours of Wednesday, but re-opened shortly after rush hour.

A police spokesman said: “There have been a number of road traffic crashes, but thankfully no injuries. They have mostly been low impact, or vehicles off roads. Service buses were re-routing to avoid the roads affected.”

The A708 to Selkirk was closed at the top end of Moffat yesterday and the police spokesman added: “We are fighting a losing battle with blizzards blowing snow back across the road. And the A701 is also closed.”

Most schools in Nithsdale, Annandale and Eskdale and the Stewartry, were closed for two days, including Dumfries High, Lockerbie Academy, Langholm Academy and Annan Academy. Most were hoping to re-open today.

But there were no electricity cuts reported to Scottish Power apart from a small incident in Castle Douglas when a car struck a wooden electricity pole which affected overhead lines. It left 30 homes without power for several hours.

Lochmaben postwoman Laura Sproat had a lucky escape yesterday morning after her Vauxhall Corsa landed upside down in a field.

She was on her way to work in Lockerbie when the accident happened around 6.30am near the cheese factory.

Shaken Laura said: “I hit a bit of a snow drift and the car ended up on the other side of the road. There was a lorry coming towards me so I had no option but to turn the steering wheel. The next thing I knew the car was on its roof in the field.”

The lorry driver and one of Laura’s colleagues stopped to help her as well as two paramedics who were passing in an ambulance.

“Everybody was very nice and luckily, apart from a sore head and shock, I was okay.”